April 24, 2017

“White House Calls Senate to briefing” (BBC News, “North Korea Nuclear:  White House calls Senate to briefing”, April 24, 2017)

“In an unusual move, the entire US Senate is being called to the White House for a briefing on North Korea.” (BBC News, as above, April 24, 2017).  Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis will lead a briefing for 100 senators…President Xi Jinping of China has called for restraint on both sides in a phone conversation with President Trump on Sunday. 

 Mr. Trump said North Korea’s “continuing belligerence” was destabilizing the Korean peninsula.  Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Joseph Dunford will be among those briefing the senators.

 A flotilla, led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, is expected to arrive off the coast of the Korean peninsula within days.

 Mr. Trump has told the United Nations Security Council ambassadors, meeting at the White House, that the UN must be ready to impose new sanctions on North Korea.

 The US is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy to make its point on North Korea, the BBC’s Gary o’Donoghue in Washington says. (BBC News, April 24, 2017)

————————–

The news coming out of Washington these days is increasingly ominous.  Commentary on NPR (National Public Radio), interviewing two experts on North Korea say while the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, is both unstable and unpredictable, the United States without a coherent policy towards North Korea may even be more destabilizing in the current war of threats.  While North Korea threatens to use nuclear weapons, for example “to destroy the USS Carl Vinson”, it is unlikely they will use them.  On the other hand, if the North Koreans sense an attack upon their government is imminent, they might choose to launch a pr-emptive attack against South Korea and Japan, which is tantamount to all-out war!

The Chinese are keen to avert a crisis, as they could see a massive exodus of refugees from North Korea flooding into China and the potential that the American army could be poised on their northern border should North Korea fall.  The people of South Korea and Japan are in extreme jeopardy in the event of a conflict escalating to war, as North Korea could potentially send barrages of cannon into the populous South Korea and missiles into Japan.  No matter how the Trump administration plays this card, the potential for loss of human life among two of our strongest allies is horrendous!  It is hard to imagine a situation where the US wins and North Korea loses without a great loss of human life.  Unless the US can find a way to take out the entire leadership of North Korea in one missile strike before retaliation can be launched, the potential for disaster is significant.

One reason the Obama and other Presidents have chosen not to engage North Korea at a deep level has been the unpredictable nature of the regime and its dynastic leadership.  It is very hard to predict a winning scenario in the current situation.

President’s Trump’s strategy and that of his generals seems to be to provoke North Korea just enough to see their reaction.  They are apparently probing for weaknesses in their command structure, looking for a military advantage, while at the same and equal time attempting to persuade the leadership of China it is time to act to reign in their ally.  It is a risky strategy and remains to be seen what comes of it.  As long as the Russians do not become involved, the players are clear.  If Russia enters in defense of North Korea, the situation is unplayable.  If they enter alongside the United States, an earlier resolution is more likely.  Militarily, I find it difficult to find any scenario which provides a win-win scenario.  Spiritually, I can pray for the liberation of the North Korea people.  There were before the Korean Conflict many Christians in North Korea.  It is possible now most believers in Christ are imprisoned among all others who choose to voice any criticism of the North Korean government.  If the United States Army and Marines invade North Korea, besides many oppressed people and a million soldier army, they will find many, many dissidents locked up in the gulag of their sophisticated prisons.  I find liberty in the Holy Spirit of Christ to pray for the North Koreans in this way of liberation.  I am unable at this time to voice a coherent prayer for the leadership of our nation, of South Korea, Japan and China, since I do not know what the US government policy is now or soon shall become.  When we have a President who reacts with instinct in is effort to “make a strategic deal”, we have a recipe for great error and unmitigated disaster.  So I will wait in prayer upon God our Savior to see what He tells me and let Christ instruct me as to how I am to pray.  I would suggest many more of us should do this at this time, for cooler heads to prevail and God’s will in heaven and on earth to be done.

To God our Lord and Savior, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who rules and over rules in the affairs of the children of men and brings about his good and holy will in Christ upon this earth, to our God be all praise, glory, honor and blessing, in this time when the martyrs of the church are being gathered into Christ’s kingdom from all corners of this earth, from every tribe and tongue, people and nation—to this  God, our Savior, be all praise forever, world without end.  Amen and Amen.

Let all of God’s people say, “Amen!”

“Amen!  We praise you, Lord Jesus Christ!”  “Amen and Amen!”

A Voice of One crying in the wilderness, “Make straight in this desert a highway for our God!”